Choosing the right turkey
Selecting the right turkey can feel daunting, it’s the main showstopper of the
Christmas dinner after all! No fear, we’re here to help with all the tips and tricks you need
to pick the perfect bird.
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1. Size guide
Knowing what size turkey to choose can be tricky. We would recommend allowing 450g of
turkey (raw weight) per guest, however, if you would like to have some leftovers then up this to
between 500-600g per guest.
Preheat your oven to 180°C/gas 4. Cover the turkey with foil and cook for 40 mins per 1kg for the
first 4kg, then add 45 mins for every extra kg.
Timings given for guidance only, please refer to packaging for specific cooking times and
remember to increase times if stuffing your turkey. It is important that turkey
meat reaches a core temperature of 75°C.
Fresh Whole Turkeys
Size guide:
2 - 4.49kg - Serves 6-11 people
4.5 - 5.99kg - Serves 11-14 people
6 - 8kg - Serves 15-18 people
Fresh Turkey Crowns
Size guide:
0.70 – 1.99kg - Serves 2-6 people
2.00 – 4.5kg - Serves 7-17 people
Frozen Whole Turkeys
Size guide:
Small 2.8-4kg - serves 3-7 people
Medium 4-5.4kg - serves 7-11 people
Large 5.4-7.2kg - serves 11-15 people
Frozen Turkey Crowns
Size guide:
Small 1.5-1.9kg - serves 4-6 people
Medium 2-2.3kg- serves 6-7 people
Large 2.4-2.8kg - serves 7-9 people
2. Fresh vs Frozen
No need to thaw - your bird is ready to be cooked!
Spread the cost of the big day and buy your frozen turkey in advance.
3. Which cut?
For the most diverse and family-friendly option, we recommend
a whole turkey. Perfect for leftover turkey sandwiches and
Boxing Day turkey curry!
A crown is perfect for smaller parties and great for saving oven
space on the big day. The crown boasts the whitest meat and
has a much shorter cooking time than whole turkeys.
A boneless turkey breast joint often filled with tasty stuffing and
topped with bacon. Suitable for smaller parties, quick to cook
and easy to carve.
Turkey thigh has lots of flavour. It will maintain its succulence
during cooking better than the breast. Thigh lends itself to being
slow roasted and is great to use in leftover stews and curries.
4. Don’t forget
We have all the classic turkey cooking essentials you need ahead of the big day
at cracking Aldi prices.
Use a roasting tin to ensure that
the heat circulates evenly
around your turkey whilst
cooking, and of course to catch
all of those all important juices!
Covering your turkey loosely
with foil will ensure it stays
lovely and moist. We
recommend removing the foil
an hour before taking it out of
the oven to allow it to crisp up.
If you love a crispy finish then
goose fat is essential when
cooking your turkey, as
well as adding extra flavour.
Whether you buy ready-made
or opt to make it from scratch,
stuffing is a Christmas dinner
staple not to be missed! Make
sure to stuff the turkey just
before roasting.
5. FAQs
Always store your turkey in the fridge below 40f/4C. On the bottom shelf wrapped well in clingfilm and preferably in a large tray so no juices drip onto the fridge shelf.
It is always recommended to store your turkey in the fridge however, you can store your turkey safely in a cool box away from sunlight with 2 litres of frozen gel packs for upto 48 hours if you cannot fit it in your fridge but check the temperature of the cool box is no more than 4.4 C to avoid any risks
The Roly Poly Turkey is a breed of Bronze Turkey, free-range and slow grown in East Anglia.
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